In chapter 13 page 85 of Book II of "Aristotle," Aristotle talks about his view of the elderly man. Line 15 he says, "They have lived many years; they have often been taken in, and often made mistakes; and life on the whole is a bad business," which I totally disagree with.
Most old people I've encountered tend to have a positive outlook on life. True most of them have made many mistakes, but over the years they learned from those mistakes. The wisdom they gain has taught them to love life and how to steer clear of the things that can make a person's life "bad business". Most times the elderly are quick to share the wisdom gained from their years with the younger generations. Think about, how many times have you heard the story of how your grandparents had to trek to school uphill in the snow and rain. I have yet to meet an older person who doesn't want to have a little input on how young folks live their lifes.
When Aristotle says in line 27, "They are not generous, because money is one of the things they must have, and at the same time their experience has taught them how hard it is to get and how easy to lose," I think he has part the truth and part untruth as applied to modern society. Today, it is harder for the elderly to work, so they don't have a steady income. If they were "generous" they may not be able to eat or afford health insurance.
You made some really good points. I was also a little surprised at the line about life being a bad business for the elderly. In my experience, elderly individuals are fairly content with their lives. I have always thought that their experience gave them a sort of wisdom and perspective. While I don't disagree that we all, by our old age, will have been "taken in" and have "made mistakes", I can't say I don't suspect that many of these experiences will impart strength and knowledge.
ReplyDeleteYour last point is also a good one. Older individuals have financial concerns that those in their prime do not. However, I do not believe that monetary gifts are the only form of generosity. The older people in my life are constantly giving others the gift of their time, their comfort, their love, and so on. My grandma, for example, has knit many blankets for me and my family. Aristotle provides a very narrow definition of generosity.
I totally agree with your first paragraph. If hard times have taught me anything, its that you have to appreciate the good things in life. I don't think that life is an inherently bad or good thing-its what you make of it. Then again, I'm fairly young, so my views might change.
ReplyDeleteI think the context is important to take into account. Aristotle goes on to say that old people are "sure about nothing and under-do everything." (Bk 2, Ch 13, Para 1). I think this statement is valid, even in modern times. People who are inexperienced in things tend to oversimplify them. Thus, someone who is new at something is prone to think they've almost mastered it, while a true expert will acknowledge that mastery is virtually impossible. The more we come to know, the more we realize how little we really know.
When I read Aristotle’s description of the elderly, I could not help but think of the stereotypical grumpy old man. As the stereotype goes, the grumpy old man is biter about life, cynical in disposition, and snipes at the world around him. But like all of you, I don’t think this stereotype is a very accurate portrayal of reality. Many aged people I know (especially my grandparents) are contented individuals who have rosy outlooks on life.
ReplyDeleteAs far as money goes, I think the elderly value money less than men in their prime. The elderly have experienced much, and they know that money comes and goes, and that money can’t buy happiness. Like Elphie, I’m not sure I agree with Aristotle’s narrow definition of generosity. I know lots of generous old people (particularly my grandparents).
I think most of us disagree with Aristotle's views of the young and old, simply because he addresses them so generally. In it's context though, old people were a burden on society in antiquity. They were complete dependents on their younger family members.
ReplyDeleteIn a modern sense though, I, like you, find him almost completely wrong - well more narrow than wrong. He is generalizing for sure, and the descriptors he is using depend on, like br1990 said, very narrow descriptions. Take generosity. Some elderly people I know are very generous, even if you keep it strictly to money, and some are very frugal - it just depends on their situation. Given their abundance of life experience they have plenty of wisdom to share and do so based on their experiences, or past events (based in memory), which fits Aristotle's line. I think he has a very narrow definition of the old, useful for one particular facet of life, mainly public deliberation.